Looking for a place to hike, camp, climb, or paddle ? This land is your land - well, about a third of it is, at least. More than 655 million acres across the United States are managed by a handful of federal agencies. All this land is supposed to be at least somewhat protected for its natural heritage and recreational opportunities or for its historical and cultural values. But most places in this national system, no matter how exalted their names may sound, are vulnerable to logging, mining, grazing, and drilling, with wildness and human-powered recreation taking a backseat to commercial exploitation. You'd think, for example, that a "national wildlife refuge" would be safe, but the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska has been at the center of one of the largest oil-drilling fights ever.

Here's an introduction to your public lands, working down from theoretically well-protected national parks and wilderness areas to the lands the Bush administration seems hell-bent on turning into off-road-vehicle playgrounds and industrial wastelands.

Back To Top

@ Copyright 2004-2005 Green Planets,
For problems or questions regarding this web contact admin@greenplanets.org
Last updated: April 21, 2004